AN angry man pushed over his ex-wife in the street then punched and slapped her during a row over what time she had picked up their children.

Lucas North, of Richmond Road, Malvern, admitted assault by beating against ex-wife Michele Awuye and of threatening behaviour towards a good samaritan who tried to intervene on her behalf.

The 49-year-old appeared before Worcester magistrates, who were told that the publicist had a volatile and turbulent relationship with his ex-wife.

Following a disagreement over childcare at Victoria Park, Malvern, Mark Johnson, prosecuting, said: “The defendant pushed the injured party with considerable force to her chest. That caused her to fall to the floor.”

She tried to get up, but was pushed to the floor a second time.

Mr Johnson said: “He grabbed her by the hair and punched her to the right hand side of her head behind her ear.”

Mrs Awuye suffered visible reddening and soreness. At this point good samaritan Paul Griffiths stepped in to help and called the pol-ice. North returned and described his ex-wife’s new boyfriend as a whore, said she was a liar, insulted her and slapped Mrs Awuye hard in the face.

Mr Griffiths said he was frightened that North was going to headbutt him.

Mr Johnson said: “The defendant made very graphic threats towards Mr Griffiths as to what would happen if he got involved.

“He said he was going to break his neck and that he would have to look for him for the rest of his life.”

Barry Newton, defending, said the couple were now divorced.

He said it was to North’s eternal shame that he ended up before the court and that he had lost his temper.

Mrs Awuye said she was fully supportive of police and willing to attend court, but would rather the case did not get that far, but wanted North to admit what he had done.

The case was adjourned until Monday for sentencing.